Thursday Morning Big Book Step Study

Thursday Morning Big Book Step Study


Recording for September 25, 2014

September 26, 2014

(week 143) 26 September 2014 12 Step Study Big Book Workshop


www.AA.org This has the Big Book and AA Reflections read at the Friday noontime

Trust & Rely meeting.


12stepstudyworkshop.com has all the handouts and accumulated knowledge of Stephanie’s studies of the Big Book.


Please send donations to support the website to:

Stephanie Whiting

P O Box 531

North Pembroke MA 02358


Stephanie has three groups running with the same number: 712 432 8816

and with the same callback number: 641 715-3900

(1)Tuesday 8am EST Dr. Bob and the Good Old Timers pin 298913#

(2) Thursday 8am EST Big Book 12 Step Study Workshop pin 95666# (All Addictions)

(3) Friday 12noon EST Trust and Rely Workshop pin 91904#


Step 3:

‘Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.’

AA 12 x 12 page 36:entire first paragraph starting: ‘To every worldly and practical-minded beginner…’


Soul work


Q1. Have you made a decision to turn your life and your thoughts over to the care of God as you understood him?

b) Have you made that decision today?


Reaffirm this decision EVERY DAY if not stuck in the A and B of the Big Book on Page 60.


c) Have you made one big ‘Yes’ you are going to run my life! And then every day reaffirm that? If you have, then you have taken a third step. If not are probably stuck on a) or b) in the Big Book (page 60) .


Q2. Honestly where are you? (If you are not honest with yourself you cannot get well).

b) Have you made a decision today?


To every worldly and practical-minded beginner, this step looks hard, even impossible.

Q3. Are you a worldly person or a practically minded person and turning your thoughts and your actions to a God that you cannot see and touch and feel looks hard or even impossible?


Q4. Write this down:

If a situation brings you to your knees it has accomplished it’s purpose.


No matter how much one wishes to try, exactly how can he turn his own will and his own life over to the care of whatever God he thinks there is?


Q5. Nothing is impossible with God. Write on that.

b) What do you think is impossible for God? Write about this and bring it to your Quiet Time every day. [Stephanie doesn’t think anything is impossible for God and no longer questions anything].


Q6. Write your step three journey [Stephanie told you hers. She is always in step three as there is always more commitment, willingness, openness and honesty. It grows].

Must be OPEN MINDED and have WILLINGNESS to change THOUGHTS and

ACTIONS (turn thoughts and actions over to God) and do what Higher

Power is leading you to do.


Bill is giving us a promise here.

Fortunately we who have tried it and with equal misgivings, can testify that anyone, anyone at all, can begin to do it.

Q6. Look up misgivings.


Q7. Ask others about their walk with step three.

If people say they never had a misgiving, take them back. Something brought them to a rock solid belief in God. Hearing others’ stories is always a gift and a miracle. Seeking God is hearing another’s story and identifying.


If it doesn’t have my name on it is none of my business. Indeed anything beyond the tip of my nose is not my business. It is me and God. That’s why we need Quiet Time.


Q8. Trust & Rely Workshop

Stephanie is challenging you: if you are feeling frustrated because you are not hearing God, do this Trust & Rely format for 12 weeks. You need the format to learn to access listening to God.

a) Read the day’s entry from AA Reflections Book, three times asking your Higher Power: ‘what do you want me to get out of this?’

b) Write for 10 minutes (start with a minimum of five if writing is hard for you)

c) Then ask: God/HP what do you want me to meditate on? and when your mind starts wandering bring it back to that word or phrase.

d) Suggest you find somebody whom it is safe to read it to so you get practice at turning your life and your will over to the care of another.

It is a skill which takes willingness to be willing.


Re. Step 3: Be specific and ask God:

‘What does it (step three) look like for today, at work, in my recovery, in my food plan?’


Another promise:

We can further add that beginning even the smallest is all that is needed.


Step Three is the trampoline into the rest of the steps. It will jump you right into being willing to look at yourself and stop pointing fingers.

Never judge anybody. And if somebody judges us, know that 99% of people’s prejudice is they just haven’t been given the information. The Big Book says, ‘ignorance is prejudice prior to investigation.’ People think they know, but they don’t. Our job as recovered addicts is when we can we educate that there is another beautiful way of life, non-guilty, self-forgiving and getting on with helping others. We are so much more alike than different. And we in recovery can bridge the gap, just put it out there in a non-threatening and caring loving way. If people pick it up they pick it up. And they may file it away.


Q9.Write this down: It takes time to learn to turn things over.

Stephanie says: ‘I was not made well 16 years ago, but I was put on the road to becoming well to connect to God.’


Ends


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